Wish I would've... (at the start of my MFP journey)

dconnolly818

Other then joining five years ago, I wish I had more/better before pictures. I also wish I knew my highest weight. I was so ashamed/ afraid of the number it would say so I didn't weigh myself for over a year, and had lost some before I bought a scale. Not that it matters much now, but it would be kind of nice to see my ticker say 40 or 50lbs down instead of 30.

Shaky44

Made sure I was eating above my BMR (eating below BMR is by far the most common mistake I see among people tracking their food).

Bought a food scale.

ril0riley

Weight training! Agh
I got so turned off by all the meatheads on here who hate on cardio and tell you to lift five times a week instead

Wish I had found some middle ground and started a good lifting regimen on top of my cardio (which I still love!) a long time ago instead of waiting til the end

ril0riley

Understood the importance of protein sooner

I second the protein, too! I started seeking it out when I started lifting, and it is UNREAL how much it fills me up and keeps me satisfied when I just try to eat as much protein as my calorie limit allows in a day

autumny70

* Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!

^^This. I had clothes that I didn't think fit, and by the time I tried them on they were too big.

Also, seconding the protein. Keeps you full, gives you power for working out.

pchesnut

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

THIS exactly

bookworm_847

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

All of this! I only took my first pic after I'd lost 12 pounds. I didn't take any measurements until about 2 weeks in.

I wish I would have really taken the advice of some of the super successful folks on here so that I wouldn't have been starving myself and hating losing weight because I couldn't eat any of my old favorites anymore. Now I know that being hangry and tired isn't necessary :happy:

JessicaBR13

I wish I would've eaten more than 1,200 calories.

lyssad2003

I wish I had a good before photo... All I have are pics from various events, etc.
I wish I had taken measurements. I get weighed and measured at the gym, but only allowed that to happen again after I started losing.

jennymendiola

Yes, to ALL of that!

runningagainstmyself

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

Pretty much this exactly.

seltzermint555

I wish I would have taken measurements back in March when I started. I did my first measurement in early May.

seltzermint555

* Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!

Completely true! I missed the window of opportunity on a few items because of this. I also think it's frustrating in a way when your body changes in ways you don't expect so sometimes you don't ever get to wear a certain item.

mytime6630

I agree with the pics and measurements.

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?

tc41586

These are great tips. Thank you!

sherry666

I wish I would have started sooner! I'm 24 and have been overweight my entire life... I feel like I've missed out on everything that "regular people do"... if that makes sense....

clareyoung80

* Don't wait too long to try on those "too small" clothes you have been saving... If you wait too long you wont get to wear them. There were a few in my closet that went from being too small to being way too big. Every few pounds or inches lost try them on. You never know!

Yup, same here!

I'm also glad I started measuring and taking before pics from the start.

But I wish I'd started exercise at the start. Even if it was only 20 minutes three times a week, it would have been better than nothing!

korygilliam

Congratulations! That is awesome! I just started MFP today and I am hoping to reach my goal loss, 30 lbs. in at least 9 months...

30 in 9 months is do-able (as long as the final weight isn't at the low end of your norm. Once you hit your 'normal weight range' then it slows down. The important thing is to go ahead and start some weights for some toning (not bulking) to help with calorie burn at rest. It may make you gain a couple of pounds of water weight, but it will go away once your body becomes accustomed to the strength training

(it will also make you look better once you have the fat removed! it's a double win!)

redwngs13

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

These were all exactly what went through my head when I read the topic title.

I took some "before" pics when I first started MFP in 2010, but I never made much progress from that time so I ended up deleting them off my computer from shame. Kinda wish I would have kept them now!

korygilliam

I agree with the pics and measurements.

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

Very true! It took changing to this to get over one of my 3 month plateaus! (that and reducing the amt I was exercising..

OH, I guess that is one lesson:

Exercising extreme does not equal losing faster.

My HRM has a 'weight loss' function to where it tells you how much to exercise. At one point, it got up to 9 hours a week (starts off around 2.5)...that's when I hit my plateau. I don't know if it was because my body was conserving for the mass energy expenditures or if my HRM just wasn't accurate enough and adding that many calories caused it to cause an issue, but when I went back to (5) 45 minutes sessions, I started losing again (and I felt a lot better!)

healthymissfit

I wish I woulda realized that my eating habits didn't have to be the same as anyone elses!

korygilliam

Other then joining five years ago, I wish I had more/better before pictures. I also wish I knew my highest weight. I was so ashamed/ afraid of the number it would say so I didn't weigh myself for over a year, and had lost some before I bought a scale. Not that it matters much now, but it would be kind of nice to see my ticker say 40 or 50lbs down instead of 30.

You can guesstimate! (It is a real mental motivation to see good weight loss)
Each pant size is approximately 10 pounds (depending on your build) and is an accurate statement for me.


And for the 'ugh weight training' statement-
I agree that I soooo prefer cardio and still have a hard time getting in strength training. I don't mean 'using weights to get ripped' I mean doing stuff like planks, arm curls, squats to clean up the definition of your body (my back completely changed after doing the 30 day shred--that is my profile photo atm).

I agree with the pics and measurements.

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?

BMR stands for "Basal Metabolic Rate", and is equivalent to the number of calories you burn daily just by breathing/living. So, if you were to literally lay in bed all day like a zombie (aka..every Sunday for me), this is how many calories your body would burn.

TDEE stands for "Total Daily Energy Expenditure". It takes your BMR and multiplies it by the "Activity Factor" to show a more realistic number of how many calories your body is burning. Do not include any workouts you do daily, as it makes the calculator less accurate. Instead, calculate how much you burn off with your workouts separately, than add them on.

Just googling and selecting a random calculator:
my BMR is: 1496 calories
my TDEE : 1796 calories-- (takes BMR and adds a few calories for what I burn in my sedentary lifestyle)
so to lose 1 pound a week, I take 500 from my TDEE so I have a deficit of 3500 in a week. If I exercise, then I get to eat more.

Hope this helps!

T0FatToB3S1ck

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

This completely except the weight training. I had way to much to lose and there was no way I would have been healthy enough at the time to just jump in.

I really REALLY regret not taking a before photo/measurements.

uwsmama

Bump

ril0riley

Bump

goalss4nika

To give tips to new MFPers...what do you wish you would've done differently?

Me:
Wish I would've taken a good 'before' pic
Wish I would've taken measurements
Wish I would've included weight training

Yea, pretty much!

cclarkcts

I wish I would have taken measurments

AprilJG79

Other then joining five years ago, I wish I had more/better before pictures. I also wish I knew my highest weight. I was so ashamed/ afraid of the number it would say so I didn't weigh myself for over a year, and had lost some before I bought a scale. Not that it matters much now, but it would be kind of nice to see my ticker say 40 or 50lbs down instead of 30.

You can guesstimate! (It is a real mental motivation to see good weight loss)
Each pant size is approximately 10 pounds (depending on your build) and is an accurate statement for me.


And for the 'ugh weight training' statement-
I agree that I soooo prefer cardio and still have a hard time getting in strength training. I don't mean 'using weights to get ripped' I mean doing stuff like planks, arm curls, squats to clean up the definition of your body (my back completely changed after doing the 30 day shred--that is my profile photo atm).

I agree with the pics and measurements.

I also wish I had started by using the TDEE-20% method instead of starving at 1200 calories. Eat more to weigh less. Love it!!!

What is the TDEE-20%?? I am trying to eat around 1200-1400 calories, and am barely losing. I am 62, so figured maybe that was why, but I always use to lose easier. I exercise a lot, so get very frustrated! Any suggestions?

BMR stands for "Basal Metabolic Rate", and is equivalent to the number of calories you burn daily just by breathing/living. So, if you were to literally lay in bed all day like a zombie (aka..every Sunday for me), this is how many calories your body would burn.

TDEE stands for "Total Daily Energy Expenditure". It takes your BMR and multiplies it by the "Activity Factor" to show a more realistic number of how many calories your body is burning. Do not include any workouts you do daily, as it makes the calculator less accurate. Instead, calculate how much you burn off with your workouts separately, than add them on.

Just googling and selecting a random calculator:
my BMR is: 1496 calories
my TDEE : 1796 calories-- (takes BMR and adds a few calories for what I burn in my sedentary lifestyle)
so to lose 1 pound a week, I take 500 from my TDEE so I have a deficit of 3500 in a week. If I exercise, then I get to eat more.

Hope this helps!

I think this is the best description I've read on MFP of BMR and TDEE Thanks

korygilliam

I think this is the best description I've read on MFP of BMR and TDEE Thanks

Wow, and there's a lot of descriptions out there about it...thank you very much

korygilliam

Lol-starting up again and was great to read through these!